A Buck Is Working My Stand and Season Opens in Two Weeks

In short: Muzzleloader season opens in two weeks, so Allan and I ran the hunt club putting corn out and checking cameras at every stand. We started at Tina's Lane stand between two swamp heads, then went to my stand, where a good buck, at least an eight point, had been on camera. I cleaned bird mess off the camera's solar panel and found his paw out, still damp from the night before. We checked my dad's two stands, found a gopher tortoise hole, saw a scrape and a licking branch, ran out of corn, and found a fresh rub on the way out.

Two weeks to opening day

Muzzleloader season opens in two weeks, and every stand on the club needs corn out and a camera on. Allan and I loaded up the side by side with corn and made the rounds.

A good buck had also shown up on the camera at my stand, an eight point at least, and I wanted to see what he had left me.

Tina's Lane stand, between two swamp heads

The first stop was the one we call Tina's Lane stand. A lot of trees are still down out there from the hurricane last year, but there is a nice little shooting lane, a swamp head on one side and another swamp head on the other. The deer cross right through there moving back and forth between those two swamps, so there is a good trail.

There is a Spypoint cellular camera on that stand that sends the pictures out, and we already have a couple of good bucks on it. We scattered the corn and moved on.

My stand, a dirty solar panel and his paw out

At my spot the stand sits about 50 yards from where we put the corn. The trail camera had bird mess all over the top of it, which is probably why the solar panel has not been charging like it should. I got some water and cleaned it off while Allan put the corn out.

The buck I had on camera, last night or the night before, was sniffing around one of the trees here, nose up in the air, like he was getting ready to make a paw out. A scrape, most people call it. I just like to call it a paw out. He is a good one, at least an eight, maybe a 10 point.

At first I did not see it. Then there it was, right under the branch he had been working, with little damp spots where he had peed in it the night before. Maybe he will be there opening morning checking it, and we will be in the stand waiting on him.

My dad's stand under the oaks

Next was my dad's spot. He has done good there the last couple of years. There are natural oaks right by the stand and the acorns are starting to fall, and once they do the deer will be all in there eating them up.

There is usually a paw out under one tree there, and last year there was a good one, but I did not see one this year. There is a really good trail going in and out. Right on it was a gopher tortoise hole, and you do not see those very much. We have killed some good bucks out of that little spot. It is thick, a good layup area.

My dad's second stand and the farm field

At my dad's second spot there is a good shooting lane, a camera on an oak tree, and a good trail where the deer come in and out. Allan said that when we pulled up there was a buck standing down there. I did not see it, so we will check the camera.

About 200 yards off there is a farm field. They plant corn or cotton or peanuts or soybeans, and I think this year it is bell peppers. The deer always travel that area.

Tina's stand on the curve

Tina's stand on the curve has the shooting box up top, the camera right there, and a lane that comes straight down out of the woods. The deer come out of that lane, and sometimes up from the bottom where a creek runs through. They feed and browse here, then go eat at a field about 200 yards away that has cotton or peanuts or something planted every fall.

I think Tina has killed some out there, and I know my dad killed a nice one there not long ago.

Out of corn, a licking branch and a fresh rub

At the last stop, one of mine, there was a scrape right near the box stand and a licking branch. That is a good sign. The deer come up mainly from one direction, and sometimes across a little canal. Then I realized we did not have enough corn, so we went back to the truck for two more bags.

I have killed quite a few deer at that spot over the years. The box stand is about 40 yards, maybe 50, from the corn. I used to use a feeder, but I would rather dump the corn on the ground and let them eat. Around it is what South Georgia timberland looks like, 10 to 12 year old trees.

On the way out we found a fresh rub where a buck had been rubbing the velvet off his antlers. We are not sure how big he is yet, but we will know in a day or so when we check that camera. Everything is prepped for opening, and muzzleloader opens in two weeks.

Questions about this hunt

What is a paw out when deer hunting?

It is what most people call a scrape. I just like to call it a paw out. I had a buck on camera sniffing around a tree at my stand, nose up in the air, and then found the paw out right under the branch he had been working, with little damp spots where he had peed in it the night before.

Why was the trail camera's solar panel not charging?

Birds had been sitting on top of the camera and left their mess all over it. I cleaned it off with water, and that was probably why the solar panel was not charging like it should.

Do you use a feeder or put the corn on the ground?

I used to use a feeder, but I don't really like doing it that way. I would rather dump the corn on the ground and let them eat. Two weeks before muzzleloader season we put corn out at every stand on the club.

More hunting: The Blackwater Deer Hunting Guide and every hunting film.